Too much Golf.

And they ignored the Cardinals choke in 1985

What about?



Oh, Sports. I thought you said Sport.

Just

Let's not go there :(

Also, you think they would have included the Red Sox in the 2003 ALCS.

I'll say there are some glorious chokes listed. This is one of the better ESPN25 lists.

There's quite of bit of golf on there but they were true clutch at your throat choke jobs. I watched Strange, Norman and Van de Velde self destruct and it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You wanted to turn away, but couldn't help but be fascinated, especially Van de Veldes. It was 30 minutes of watching a man be swallowed up by the enormity of what he doing and his inability to stop it, all on the 18th hole. For that matter, Scott Hoch will always be known as "Hoch as in choke" for gagging away the Masters.

But how is Mike Tyson biting Holyfield's ear a choke? Or Duran's "No Mas?" Greatest fark ups or quitters maybe, but gag jobs?

And Bill Buckner was one of many at fault in the '86 BoSox disaster. He NEVER should have been on the field at that time anyway, the man was as mobile as a pylon at that point of his career. Calvin Schiraldi, Bob Stanley, and John McNamara are just as or even more culpable in choking away that game than Buckner.

I loved that the 87 Jays were listed. They had the division locked up and let the Tigers back in the race in the last week, losing on the last day of the season. That was one of the most exciting races ever, but I'm a Tiger fan. I'm sure Jays fan would think differently.

As for Webber and the TO? Everybody on the planet knew they were out of time outs except him. Classic brain fart choke. Webber will never be forgiven here in MI (For the phantom TO and numerous other issues), much like Buckner in MA.

Ladies Final - Wimbledon

Jana Novotna 2 Match points in the second set at, and lost!!!

Gotta be in the top ten

Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams.

1993 World Series.

Never forget.

/Sad Philly Fan.

what about ray finkle?

laces out!

congrats, espn, because it certainly would not be a greatest chokes list without the MN Vikings up there somewhere.

/end Viqueens rant

tired of rooting for losers, and not even a cubs fan...

Buckner!

I'm glad people seem to have forgotten my slight miscalculation, apparently...

Glad to see our wonderful cubbies are on the list twice, let us see if they can make it three (including this year).

Grady.

As a Mariners fan, I remember the 1995 Angels collapse very fondly. Of course, I also remember the 2001 Mariners in the playoffs and, in particular, the 2001 regular-season game in which the Mariners gave up a 12 run lead to the Cleveland Indians. I guess it all evens out.

uuummm Rich Kotite anyone?

What about Latrell Spreewell on coach P.J. Carlissimo!?!?!?

Oh... not that kind of choke... never mind.

what about the bills missed FG

Actually, that thing about the 12 run lead should read "the game in which the Mariners lost despite having a 12 run lead after two innings".

Lets see how Greg norman does in 2006 Masters.... he has choked in 1986 and 96.... Might not be a choke- but a curse.
/not serious
//likes to play the number game

This list is over a week old! This week's ESPN25 list is about the 25 best commercials, and can be seen here. (POPS)

I know it's not news, it's Fark, but this is almost ancient - there's probably been 20 Paris Hilton threads since this came out.

Wrong! You are all wrong! It's Letrell Sprewell. P.J. Carlisimo agrees.

What about that running back that pulled out a 9mm and shot his way to the endzone? He completely collapsed under the pressure

WTF? Um, Norwood missing the game winning field goal in the Super Bowl is not on the list? I figured that would be second behind Buckner.

Biggest choke is anyone who played Villanova in March during the 1985 season.

LOL at BillCosby's "Last Boy Scout" reference.

Assuming for a brief moment that the USA isn't the center of the universe, the All Black's two momentous chokes in the 99 and 03 Rugby World Cup semi-finals ought to be here.

/flame me, pig-men!

40ozfarker
what about the bills missed FG

I am by no means a football fan, I've just been forced to watch it my entire life, including all four of Buffalo's visits to the Super Bowl. As far as I remember (I was really young at the time) and have been told since the event, I don't think it's considered a choke b/c it was a pretty long field goal? Also it's not like the Bills had been winning the entire game and then lost b/c of the field goal, the game had been close the entire time. I'm probably wrong, like I said I know virtually nothing about football.

WTF???!!!!
Where's the Steelers in Superbowl XXX??


Oh... I get it, there's a difference between choking and O'Donnell throwing the game.

Then there's Kordell... 'Scuse me while I go and cry

Rug*bie? What is this thing that you speak of?

ridiculouslikethat

no, you're right - Norwood had to make a 47 yd field goal - while not the longest ever attempted or made in the NFL, it's no guarantee either. I think that was the justification given by some of ESPN's Page 2 writers for the choke not being on the list.

Saint's, Panthers last year. One of the greatest td's i've ever seen, ande they miss the damn pat. CHOKE!!!

How could this possibly be left off of the list!

Here's to reliving the 86 series...


RED SOX SUCK HAHAHAHA!!


/Ray Knight

about #1, and why it shouldn't even #1, nor was it Bucker's fault....

1) you can blame McNamera for even putting him in, he just wanted Bucker to be out there for the win. He couldn't bend down, no reason in hell to have him in there. The man had no ankles, and he's a defensive sub? wtf? Even if he would have got that ball, it was 50/50 he would even get back to the bag.

2) HORRIBLE pitching, he didn't give up two-out singles, a wild pitch that led ot the tying run.

and Bucker was CLUTCH in his career, one tanked play that was probably 10th in line on reasons why Boston didn't win that game, and he's still hounded on the one error.

was it a choke? yeah, by Bucker? no....blame the whole team

/Red Sox Nation

When Bill Buckner and Mookie Wilson started signing baseball items together, I nearly threw up in my mouth. Buckner and Mookie doing the Ralph Branca-Bobby Thomson routine? How could Buckner profit from the most famous gaffe in World Series history, a blunder that shattered a region and defined a star-crossed franchise? As a reader asked, shouldn't the Son of Sam law apply here?

I mentioned this heinous development in a previous column, excoriating Buckner while fantasizing about breaking one of those autographed photos over his head. Eventually, I forgot about it. But then October rolled around, and with it, another anniversary of the Clip That Won't Die: Mookie grounds to first, a creaky Buckner hobbles over, moving like a guy hopping off the crapper to answer the phone, reaches down in sections ... but not far enough. The error is now part of October, like New England foliage, Columbus Day or Michael Myers.

Enduring that clip for the umpteenth time this month, it finally dawned on me: Buckner has suffered more since that moment than everyone else involved combined. Red Sox fans won't let him forget; no one does. His is a scarlet E. Buckner moved his family to Idaho a few years ago. Think that's because he likes potatoes? He was running away. You can't blame him.


Boston's then-manager John McNamara should have known better than to send Buckner out to first in the 10th.
Everyone has forgotten about Buckner's career: 22 seasons, 2,700-plus hits, .289 average, a batting title. Or how in 1986, he gutted out 153 games on ravaged ankles, knocking in 102 runs on countless clutch hits. Or how three outs from extinction in Anaheim, he started the ninth more intense than Travis Bickle, repeatedly stepping out of the box to rattle Angels starter Mike Witt. When Witt complained, Buckner unleashed a stream of obscenities-and a single to center. That was Billy Buck: heart on his sleeve, charcoal under his eyes, tobacco bursting from his cheek and always looking for an edge. When Dave Henderson belted a series-saving home run later that inning, Buckner was first out of the dugout, wrapping Hendu in a joyous bear hug. I can still see it.

Today, it's assumed Billy Buck squandered the '86 Series himself. Only one problem: He didn't. Sure, a hobbled Buckner was running on fumes by the time the Series rolled around, wearing high-tops to support ankles more wobbly than a Danny Wuerffel spiral and giving way in late innings to a defensive replacement. But in Game 6, Buckner didn't send himself out in the 10th; that was manager John McNamara's decision. And Buckner didn't allow three two-out singles; that was doe-eyed closer Calvin Schiraldi. Buckner didn't unfurl a game-tying wild pitch to Wilson; that was Bob Stanley. And Buckner wasn't the one who couldn't block the pitch; that was Rich Gedman. Only after 16 pitches failed to clinch the game -- and only then -- did the cruel spotlight find him, following a lazy grounder that skipped along like a rabbit in a cornfield.

Hey, I'm not excusing the error. He blew it. But even if Buckner had stopped the roller, he never could have beaten Wilson to the bag. The Mets would have had runners on first and third, with Howard Johnson coming up, the Grim Reaper on the mound, Shea rocking and the Sox reeling like Tommy Hearns to the Mets' charging Marvin Hagler. You think this team could rally from such a stunning collapse? Please. Catatonics don't regroup.


Gimpy-but-game Buckner needed high-tops to support his ailing ankles.
Apparently, none of this matters. Time passes, memories fade, facts grow hazy ... and everyone believes Bill Buckner blew the World Series. Sadly, we need scapegoats, whether it's Buckner, Mitch Williams or Fred Merkle. And sadly, this isn't Hollywood, where Robin Williams could cradle Billy Buck, tell him, "It's not your fault, it's not your fault" and make everything OK. If athletes screw up on a bright enough stage, they never stop paying for it; they're convicts serving life. And since only a world championship in Boston can exonerate Buckner, the pardon may never come.

Let the record show, Buckner's worst mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Let it also show the Sox wouldn't have gotten so close without him. You don't have to buy one of those signed photos of The Play, but you don't have to hope somebody breaks one over his head, either.

Give him a break.

Bill Simmons is a columnist for Page 2 and ESPN The Magazine

never odd or even

Do I detect a stutter?

I keed, I keed...

Eh! What about Oklhoma vs Kansas St. in the Big 12 title game?! That was a monumental choke.

For me, the biggest sports related disappointment was in 1996, when the Detroit Red Wings went 62-13-7 and were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche.

Even though we've won three cups since then, I'm still bitter.

Oh, and when Michigan loses a football game its always a personal tragedy where I have to play the image of one play in my head over and over and over again. For being the most winning team in college football, Michigan sure has choked a hell of a lot.

Too bad this article was written before the Korean Olympic gymnasts' chokefest this evening.

I, for one, am shocked that no one has felt compelled to post a picture of one of the biggest chokers in sports:



/depends on how you choose to define 'choke'

BillCosby


What about that running back that pulled out a 9mm and shot his way to the endzone? He completely collapsed under the pressure

Frigging awesome. One of my favorite crappy movies of all time.

"Ain't that a biatch..."
BLAM!!!

I always wondered, did that touchdown count? And, as it most surely didn't, how harsh a penalty does one incur for that? Since he killed himself, does someone on the team have to proxy for him?

As for the Norwood SHANK (!!!), I must say that as a Giants fan, I almost can't even consider that a victory. Almost. Not nearly as cool as the '86 Superbowl, yhough.

David Justice ignoring the 3rd Base Coach's call and losing the world series for Atlanta...couldnt remember the year and am too lazy to look it up.